Object cluster detection and estimation

ABSTRACT

A vehicle tracking system includes a wheel unit containing RF communication circuitry. The wheel units communicate with fixed nodes of a monitoring system. In some embodiments, the wheel units are placed on shopping carts and are used to track the shopping carts in a vicinity of a store. The system may implement a variety of tracking-relating features, including detecting unauthorized store exit events, estimating the number of shopping carts that are clustered together, and inhibiting shopping cart theft.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.12/200,804, filed Aug. 28, 2008, which is a division of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/277,016, filed Mar. 20, 2006, which claims thebenefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Appl. Nos.60/663,147, 60/663,327, and 60/663,195, all filed on Mar. 18, 2005. Theaforesaid applications are hereby incorporated by reference. Inaddition, the disclosures of the following non-provisional applicationsare hereby incorporated by reference: U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/277,027, filed Mar. 20, 2006, titled NAVIGATION SYSTEMS AND METHODSFOR WHEELED OBJECTS (hereinafter “the Navigation Patent Application”),and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/277,029, filed Mar. 20, 2006,titled POWER GENERATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR WHEELED OBJECTS(hereinafter “the Power Generation Patent Application”).

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to systems for tracking movable objects,including but not limited to shopping carts.

2. Description of the Related Art

A variety of commercially available cart containment systems exist fordeterring the theft of shopping carts. Typically, these systems includea wire that is embedded in the pavement of a store parking lot to definean outer boundary of area in which shopping cart use is permitted. Whena shopping cart is pushed over this wire, a sensor in or near one of thewheels detects an electromagnetic signal generated via the wire, causingthe wheel to lock. To unlock the wheel, an attendant typically uses ahandheld remote control to send an unlock signal to the wheel.

While existing cart containment systems are useful for deterringshopping cart theft, they are generally not capable of detecting othertypes of shopping cart misuse. As one example, existing systems areunable to detect that a shopping cart is being used to steal groceriesor other merchandise. While merchandise theft can often be detectedusing an Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) system, the cost andburden of attaching EAS tags to merchandise items is often impractical.As another example of misuse, merchants that use power-assisted cartretrieval units sometimes use these machines to retrieve too many cartsat a time, or to push a cart having a locked or improperly orientedwheel.

This background section is not intended to suggest that the presentinvention is limited to shopping carts, or that the invention requiresdetection of the particular types of misuse described above.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present invention comprises a system for tracking the locations andstatuses of vehicles, such as shopping carts. Each vehicle includes awheel or wheel assembly that includes sensor circuitry for sensingvarious types of events. (The term “invention” is used in this documentto refer generally and collectively to various distinct inventions andinventive features, and its use herein does not limit the scope ofprotection.) The types of sensors included in the wheel assembly mayvary widely, but may include, for example, any one or more of thefollowing: (1) a wheel rotation sensor, (2) a vibration sensor forsensing wheel skid events, (3) a VLF (Very Low Frequency) signaldetector for detecting signals used by conventional cart containmentsystems, (4) an EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) signal detectorcapable of detecting conventional EAS towers, and/or (5) a magneticfield sensor capable of detecting encoded magnetic markers placed on orunder store flooring or pavement to mark specific locations. The wheelmay also include a braking mechanism that can be actuated to lock thewheel from rotating, although braking mechanisms may be omitted in someembodiments.

The wheel's sensor circuitry is coupled to a radio frequency (RF)transceiver system, which may but need not also be housed in the wheelor wheel assembly. The RF transceiver system provides a two-way datalink that may be used to retrieve status information from, and sendcommands to, specific vehicles. The RF transceiver system is preferablycapable of measuring and reporting the signal strengths of transmissionsit receives, such as transmissions from wireless access points and/orother vehicles.

The retrieved status information may be used to track locations of thevehicles in real time or near real time, and to make decisions onwhether to authorize or block particular vehicle actions. For example,in the context of a shopping cart that is exiting a store, the dataacquired via two-way communications with the cart may be used todetermine whether the cart passed through a checkout lane. If it didnot, a lock command may be transmitted to the cart, or an “exitauthorized” command withheld, to cause the wheel to lock. (Various othertypes of actions may additionally or alternatively be taken, such assounding an alarm or activating a video surveillance system.) Thedetermination of whether to treat the exit event as unauthorized mayalso be based on other types of data, such as any one or more of thefollowing: (1) whether the corresponding checkout register/scanner wasactive, as may be determined, e.g., from a central store computer or viaa network-connected sensor at the checkout station; (2) the averagespeed at which the cart passed through the checkout lane, as may bedetermined, e.g., from a rotation sensor in the wheel, (3) the amount oftime spent in the store, (4) whether the cart passed through an areathat includes high-priced or frequently stolen merchandise.

The sensor or sensor-based data collected from the vehicles may also beused for a variety of other applications. For example, in applicationsinvolving power-assisted cart retrieval, a vibration sensor may beincluded in the wheel to detect and report wheel skid events. Such skidevents commonly occur when a retrieval unit retrieves a cart having alocked or improperly oriented wheel, and can cause damage to the wheelsand the retrieval unit. The reported skid event message may be used toautomatically disable the cart retrieval unit and/or to alert itsoperator.

As another example, signal strength measurements taken by the vehicle'sRF transceivers can be analyzed collectively, such as by using aclustering algorithm, to estimate the number of carts currently queuedor otherwise clustered at a checkout station, in a cart retrieval line,at a cart park area, or elsewhere. This information may be used forvarious purposes, such as to alert store personnel of the need to open acheckout lane or to retrieve carts, or to automatically disable a cartretrieval unit that is attempting to retrieve more than an authorizednumber of carts at a time.

In some shopping cart based embodiments, each cart may be provided witha display unit that contains or is coupled to the cart's RF transceiver.In these embodiments, the location data obtained via two-waycommunications with a cart may be used to select messages to present onthe display unit to a customer. For instance, when a shopping cartenters a particular area or department of the store, an advertisement orother message may be displayed that is specific to that area ordepartment. If the customer's identity is known (e.g., as the result ofthe customer swiping a customer loyalty card via the display unit), thead or message may be targeted and/or personalized based, e.g., on thepast shopping activities of the customer.

The data obtained via two-way communications with the carts may also beanalyzed on an aggregated basis for store planning purposes. Forexample, the paths followed by customers, and the amounts of time spentin particular areas or departments, can be collectively analyzed toidentify areas that are the most or least frequently visited bycustomers. As another example, when a checkout event is detected, thesystem may associate the customer/cart's path in the store with theassociated transaction record, including identifiers of the productspurchased; this data may be mined on an aggregated basis via data miningsoftware to detect, e.g., that customers commonly have difficultylocating particular products, or to detect that customers commonlylinger in a particular area without selecting an item to purchase.

The invention also comprises a mechanized cart retrieval unit that iscapable of instructing the shopping carts it is pushing or pulling tomaintain their wheels in an unlocked state. The cart retrieval unit mayalso instruct one or more carts at the front of the nest to apply weakor partial braking so that the carts do not become un-nested duringretrieval. In addition, the invention comprises techniques for usingdirectional antennas to create lock and unlock zones for containingvehicles in a defined area.

The various inventive features described herein are applicable to a widerange of different types of vehicles, including but not limited toshopping carts, luggage carts, wheelchairs, hospital beds, gurneys,pharmacy carts, and carts used for medical and other equipment.

Neither the foregoing summary nor the following detailed descriptiondefines or limits the scope of protection. The scope of protection isdefined by the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described withreference to the drawings summarized below. These specific embodimentsare intended to illustrate, and not limit, the invention. The inventionis defined by the claims.

FIG. 1 illustrates various types of system components that may bedeployed in and around a store for purposes of tracking shopping carts.

FIG. 2 illustrates one possible configuration that may be used to detectwhether a customer who is exiting the store has paid.

FIG. 3 illustrates one example of the decision logic that may be used toevaluate whether an exiting customer has paid.

FIG. 4 illustrates the electronics that may be included in a shoppingcart wheel according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates one example of a type of vibration sensor that may beincluded in the wheel to detect skid events.

FIG. 6 illustrates how an antenna used for two-way communications may beconfigured and positioned within a shopping cart wheel in a 2.4 GHzimplementation.

FIG. 7 is a top view illustrating the unoccluded radiation patternproduced by the antenna of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 illustrates how other electrical and mechanical components may bearranged within the wheel according to one embodiment.

FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment in which the cart includes ahandle-mounted display unit that includes the RF transceiver circuitryused for two-way communications.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a circuit that may be used to implementthe access points.

FIG. 11 illustrates, in example format, a communications protocol thatmay be used for communications between access points and shopping carts.

FIG. 12 illustrates a program loop that may be executed by the carttransceivers to implement the protocol of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 illustrates additional logic that may be used to implement the“respond to a command” decision block in FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 illustrates one embodiment of a CCU that stores and analyzesevent data captured via two-way communications with the carts.

FIG. 15 illustrates a configuration in which a single access point isused to create a lock zone and an adjacent unlock zone in a parking lotarea of a store.

FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrate other examples of how lock and unlock zonescan be used to contain shopping carts.

FIG. 18 illustrates a process by which the number of carts that arequeued or otherwise clustered in a specific area may be estimated.

FIG. 19 illustrates an arrangement of shopping carts that can beanalyzed via the process of FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 illustrates one example of logic that may be incorporated into acart transceiver or wheel to facilitate cart retrieval operations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS I. Overview (FIGS. 1 and2)

FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle tracking system according to one embodimentof the invention. The vehicle tracking system is shown deployed in astore for purposes of tracking and controlling the movement of shoppingcarts 30. However, the inventive components and methods of the vehicletracking system may be used for other applications, such as trackingluggage carts in an airport, stretchers in a hospital, or carts in awarehouse.

The system includes a set of cart transceivers (CTs) that communicatebi-directionally with a set of wireless access points (APs) to createtwo-way communications links with the shopping carts 30. In oneembodiment, each cart transceiver (CT) is fully contained within one ofthe standard-size (5-inch diameter) wheels 32 (typically a front wheel)of a respective shopping cart 30, together with a braking unit that canbe actuated by the cart transceiver to lock the wheel. One example of abraking unit that may be used for this purpose is described in U.S. Pat.No. 6,362,728, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated byreference. (For purposes of this detailed description, the term “carttransceiver” refers collectively to the cart's RF transceiver and theassociated sensor circuitry). Alternatively, a progressive or partialbraking unit may be used that is additionally capable of inhibiting thewheel's rotation without placing the wheel in a locked state.

Some of the circuitry of the cart transceivers (CTs) may alternativelybe provided elsewhere on the shopping carts 30. For example, asdescribed below, some of the transceiver circuitry may alternatively beincluded in a display unit that attaches to the shopping cart's handle(see FIG. 9, discussed below). As another example, some or all of thecircuitry, including sensor circuitry, could be housed in the wheelassembly (e.g., in the wheel's caster or fork) without being included inthe wheel itself.

The access points (APs) are generally responsible for communicating withthe cart transceivers (CTs) for purposes of retrieving and generatingcart status information, including information indicative or reflectiveof cart location. The types of cart status information that may beretrieved and monitored include, for example, whether the wheel 32 is ina locked versus unlocked state, whether the cart is moving; the wheel'saverage rotation speed (as may be sensed using a rotation sensor in thewheel 32); whether the cart has detected a particular type oflocation-dependent signal such as a VLF, EAS or magnetic signal(discussed below); whether the wheel 32 is skidding; the CT's batterylevel and a general wheel “health”; and the number of lock/unlock cyclesexperienced by the cart since some reference time. (The term “wheel 32”is used herein to refer specifically to a wheel that includeselectronics as described herein, as opposed to the other wheels of theshopping cart.) The access points (APs) are also capable of generatingand/or relaying commands to the cart transceivers (CTs), including lockand unlock commands that are sent to specific shopping carts.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, all of the access points (APs)communicate wirelessly with a central control unit (CCU), eitherdirectly or via intermediate access points. The central control unit maybe implemented as a personal computer that includes a wirelesstransceiver card or which is wire-connected to an external transceiverunit. The CCU is generally responsible for collecting, storing andanalyzing cart status information, including location information,gathered by the access points (APs). In addition to the data retrievedfrom the cart transceivers (CTs), the CCU may collect data generated bythe access points, such as signal strength measurements of detected carttransmissions. Some or all of the collected data is preferably stored bythe CCU together with associated event timestamps.

The CCU may analyze the collected data in real time for purposes ofmaking decisions, such as whether to send a lock command to a particularcart 30 or whether to send an alert message to personnel. For example,when a cart is approaching or passing through the store exit, the CCUmay analyze the cart's recent history (e.g., path and speed) to evaluatewhether a customer is attempting to leave the store without paying. (Theaccess points may additionally or alternatively be responsible formaking such determinations.) Based on the outcome of this determination,the CCU may send a lock command to the cart (typically via an accesspoint), or may refrain from issuing a command that authorizes the cartto exit. As another example, if the CCU detects a rapid increase in thenumber of active carts, the CCU may alert personnel (e.g., over a storeLAN) regarding the possible need to open an additional checkout station.

The CCU may also run data mining and reporting software that analyzesthe data collected over time for purposes of detecting meaningfultraffic patterns and trends. For example, the CCU may generate reportsshowing how customers typically progress through the store, and how muchtime they spend in each aisle or other shopping area. This informationmay be used to, for example, adjust the store layout.

The CCU may additionally or alternatively convey the data it collectsover a cellular network or the Internet to a remote node that handlesanalysis and reporting tasks. For example, the CCU (and possibly one ormore access points) may have an autonomous WAN link that uses a cellulardata service such as GPRS to convey the collected data to a remote nodefor analysis and reporting. This feature can be used to monitor thesystem's health from a remote facility. The system may also be capableof being tested and configured via the WAN link from the remotefacility.

As depicted in FIG. 1, the CCU may connect to various other types ofsystems that exist within the store. For example, the CCU may connect toa preexisting alarm system and/or video surveillance system, in whichcase the CCU may be configured to activate an audible alarm or a videocamera upon detecting an unauthorized exit event. As another example,the CCU may connect to a pre-existing central store computer thatmaintains information regarding the states of the store's checkoutregisters; as described below, this information may be retrieved andused by the CCU to evaluate whether a customer has passed through anactive checkout lane.

In some implementations of the system, the CCU may be omitted. In theseimplementations, the access points (APs) may implement all of the realtime analysis functionality that might otherwise be handled by the CCU.For example, an access point mounted in the vicinity of the store exitmay be capable of detecting that a customer is attempting to exit thestore without paying, and deciding whether to send a lock command to thecart. To accommodate both centralized and distributed of installations,each access point may be capable of operating both with and without aCCU. Implementations are also possible in which the access points areomitted, such that the CCU communicates directly with the carttransceivers.

The cart transceivers (CTs), access points (APs), and central controlunit (CCU) all operate as uniquely addressable nodes on a wirelesstracking network. As shown in FIG. 1, another type of node that may beincluded on the network is a handheld mobile control unit (MCU). Themobile control unit is designed to enable store personnel to unlockindividual carts via depression of a button, as is known in the art. Themobile control unit may also include functionality for retrieving anddisplaying various types of cart status information, for configuring thewheels/cart transceivers and updating their firmware, and forcontrolling a motorized cart retrieval unit 40 (see discussion of cartretriever 40 below).

The various types of nodes (e.g., cart transceivers, access points,central control unit, and mobile control unit) communicate with eachother using a non-standard wireless communications protocol that enablesthe cart transceivers to operate at very low duty cycles, without theneed to maintain synchronization with the access points when inactive.Consequently, the cart transceivers can operate for extended periods oftime (e.g., approximately 3 years with an average of 0.7 lock/unlockevents per day) using a relatively small battery, such as one CR123A(LiMnO₂) battery or two L91 (LiFeS₂) batteries mounted in the wheel 32.The details of a particular communications protocol that may be used aredescribed below under the heading “Communications Protocol.”

Each cart transceiver (CT) is preferably capable of measuring thereceived signal strength, in terms of an RSSI (received signal strengthindication) value, of the transmissions it receives on the wirelesstracking network. The system may use these RSSI measurements in variousways. For example, a cart transceiver may compare the RSSI value of anaccess point's transmission to a threshold value to determine whether torespond to the transmission. The cart transceiver may also report thisRSSI value to the access point (together with the cart transceiver'sunique ID) to enable the system to estimate the location of, or distanceto, the shopping cart. As another example, the cart transceivers may beprogrammed to generate and report RSSI values of transmissions fromother nearby cart transceivers; this information may in turn be used toestimate the number of carts that are queued at a checkout lane, in acart storage structure, in a cart stack being retrieved with amechanized cart retrieval unit 40, or elsewhere. One example of a methodthat may be used to estimate the number of queued or clustered carts ina particular area is described below under the heading “Queued CountEstimation.”

Three checkout stations 34 are shown in FIG. 1, each of which includes acheckout register (REG), which typically includes a merchandise scanner.Each checkout station 34 in this particular example includes an accesspoint (AP), which may be mounted to the preexisting pole (if present)that indicates the number of the checkout lane. Each such access pointmay include a connection or sensor that enables it to determine whetherthe respective checkout station is currently active. This information isuseful for assessing whether a customer who passes through the checkoutlane has paid. Several different methods that may be used to sense theactive/inactive state of a checkout station are described below. Eachaccess point that is positioned at a checkout station 34 may use adirectional antenna to communicate with nearby shopping carts/carttransceivers, such as those that are queued in the correspondingcheckout lane (see FIG. 2, discussed below).

Access points may additionally or alternatively be mounted to variousother fixed and/or mobile structures in the vicinity of the store. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 1, access points may be mounted to a shoppingcart storage structure 36 (two shown) in the store parking lot. Theseparking-structure-mounted access points may be used to detect and reportthe number of carts stored in their respective areas, and may also beused to enable the in-store access points or CCU to communicate withcarts that would otherwise be out of range.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, an access point (AP) may also be mounted on apower-assisted (mechanized) cart retrieval unit or trolley 40, which maybe either a cart pusher or cart puller. One example of such a retrievalunit 40 is the CartManager™ product of Gatekeeper Systems, Inc. Theretriever-mounted access point may serve various functions related tocart retrieval, including one or more of the following: (1) sendingunlock commands to a nest 41 of carts 30 being retrieved, such that thewheels 32 of these carts are not damaged by being retrieved while in alocked state, (2) detecting whether the cart retriever 40 is being usedto push or pull more than an authorized number (e.g., 15) carts at atime, and disabling the cart retriever 40, and/or reporting the event,if such misuse is detected, (3) in embodiments in which the wheel 32 orwheel assembly supports partial braking, instructing the cart or cartsat the front of the nest 41 (particularly in the case of a cart pusher)to apply weak braking so that the carts do not become un-nested, withthe degree of braking applied optionally being dependent upon thedetected slope of the ground; and (4) in embodiments in which the wheels32 include vibration sensors for detecting wheel skid events, respondingto skid-event messages from the carts being retrieved by disabling thecart retriever 40 and/or alerting an operator. It should be noted thatin many cases the wheel skid events occur because a cart being retrievedis mis-nested such that the skidding wheel cannot swivel to point in thecorrect direction. A flow chart illustrating logic that may beimplemented by the cart transceivers (CTs) to facilitate retrievaloperations is provided as FIG. 20 and is discussed below.

In one embodiment, the cart retrieval unit 40 is a battery powered cartpusher that is adapted to be positioned at the rear of a cart stack tobe retrieved. The operator manually steers the cart stack by holding thefront cart with one hand while holding the MCU in the other hand Via aset of buttons on the MCU, the operator can control the forward andbackward direction and speed of the retriever 40. Various type of statusinformation may be displayed to the operator on a display of the MCU,such as the estimated number of carts being retrieved (as determinedusing the cluster analysis methods described below). If theretriever-mounted access point detects a misuse condition (e.g., a skidevent or too many carts being pushed), it may disable the retriever 40in various ways, such as by “spoofing” a manual throttle interface, orif the retriever 40 contains a motor controller with a digital externalcontrol interface, by issuing a stop command via this interface.

In the particular example shown in FIG. 1, the store includes a pair ofconventional EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) towers at the storeexit, and also at the end of each checkout lane. Although EAS towers arenot needed to implement the various functions described herein, thesystem may take advantage of their common presence in retail stores. Forexample, each cart transceiver (CT) may include an EAS receiver (seeFIG. 4) for detecting that it is passing between a pair of EAS towers,and may be configured to report EAS detection events on the wirelesstracking network; this information may in turn be taken intoconsideration in assessing whether an exiting customer has paid.

The example store configuration in FIG. 1 is also shown as having a VLFsignal line 44 embedded in the pavement along an outer perimeter of theparking lot. Such signal lines are commonly used in prior art systems todefine the outer boundary of the area in which shopping carts arepermitted. In such prior art systems, the wheel 32 of each shopping cartincludes a VLF receiver that detects the VLF signal, and engages thebrake, when the cart is pushed over the signal line 44. Although notshown in FIG. 1, a VLF line may also be provided at the store exit suchthat all carts that pass through the exit have to cross over this line,and/or at other locations of interest.

While the present system does not require the use of a VLF signal line44, the system is preferably capable of using one or more VLF lines as amechanism for monitoring cart location. Specifically, cart transceiver(CT) preferably includes a VLF receiver. The VLF receiver may be capableof detecting a code transmitted on a VLF line, so that different linescan be used to uniquely identify different areas or boundaries. When theVLF signal is detected, the cart transceiver may take various actions,depending on the circumstances. For example, the cart transceiver mayattempt to report the VLF detection event on the wireless trackingnetwork and then wait for a command indicating whether to engage thebrake. If no command is received within a pre-programmed time period inthis example (e.g., 2 seconds), the cart transceiver may automaticallyengage the brake.

With further reference to FIG. 1, one or more magnetic markers or strips(MAG) may optionally be provided on or under the store flooring toprovide an additional or alternative location-tracking mechanism. Asillustrated, these magnetic markers may be provided in strategiclocations, such as in each checkout lane and at the store exit. Althoughnot shown in FIG. 1, one or more magnetic markers may also be providedin the parking log and/or in shopping aisles. Each magnetic strip has aunique magnetic pattern that can be sensed by an optional magneticsensor included in each wheel 32. The magnetic markers thus serve asmagnetic bar codes that identify specific locations. When a cart 30crosses a magnetic marker in one embodiment, the cart transceiver (CT)transmits the detected magnetic code, or information from which thiscode can be derived, on the wireless tracking network. Additionaldetails of how magnetic markers may be sensed and used are describedbelow, and are also described in the Navigation Patent Applicationreferenced above, the disclosure of which is incorporated by referenceherein.

As will be apparent from the foregoing discussion, many of thecomponents shown in FIG. 1 are optional components that may or may notbe included in a given system installation. For instance, the magneticmarkers, the EAS towers, and/or the VLF signal line can be omitted. Inaddition, either the access points or the CCU can be omitted. Further,the illustrated components may be arranged differently than illustrated.For instance, VLF signal lines could be provided in the checkout lanesand/or in the store exit/entrance (e.g., in place of the magneticmarkers and EAS towers shown) to enable the carts to detect checkoutevents and exit/entrance events, respectively. Further, other types ofsignal transmitters and detectors/receivers could be used to monitorcart locations.

II. Detecting Unauthorized Exit Events (FIGS. 2 and 3)

The system supports a variety of different methods for assessing whethera customer is exiting the store without paying. The particular method ormethods used may vary widely based on the types and the locations of thesystem components included in a given installation. For example, if thestore does not include any Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) Towers,magnetic markers (MAG), or VLF lines, the determination may be madebased solely or primarily on cart location/path information determinedfrom CT-AP communications, with wheel speed history optionally takeninto consideration as an additional factor. If EAS towers, magneticmarkers, and/or VLF signal lines are provided, they may be used asadditional or alternative sources of information from which the decisioncan be made.

FIG. 2 illustrates three representative checkout stations 34, and willbe used to describe how access point “zones” may optionally be used tomonitor cart locations and to assess whether an exiting customer haspaid. Each checkout station 34 in this example includes a respectiveaccess point (AP) with a directional antenna (not shown), as describedabove. The directional antennas are oriented such that each access pointcreates a respective zone 46 extending outward from the cart entry areaof the checkout lane. Each zone 46 in the preferred embodimentrepresents the area in which the RSSI of the respective access point'stransmissions, as measured by the cart transceivers, exceed a selectedthreshold. The transmission ranges of the access points typically extendwell beyond their respective zones. The zones 46 in this example arepositioned such that a cart that enters the corresponding checkout lanewill ordinarily pass through the corresponding zone. Some overlap mayoccur between adjacent zones, as shown in this example.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, access points (APs) positioned near thestore exit/entrance create two additional zones 48 that may be used todetect cart exit and entry events. Access points in other areas (notshown) may create additional zones used for other purposes. The storeexit/entrance in the illustrated configuration of FIG. 2 also includes aVLF signal line 49. The code transmitted on this line 49 may uniquelycorrespond to the store's exit/entrance. In this configuration, cartexit events can be distinguished from cart entry events by evaluatingthe timing with which the cart transceiver detects this VLF coderelative to the timing which it sees various RSSI levels from theexit-mounted access points. For instance, if the strengths oftransmissions from the exit-mounted access points peak and then fadebefore the wheel detects the VLF signal, the cart is likely exiting thestore.

In one embodiment, when a shopping cart 30 (i.e., its cart transceiver)detects that it has entered into a zone 46, 48 (as determined bymonitoring the RSSI values of the corresponding access point'stransmissions), it registers with the access point (AP) by responding toa periodic transmission from the access point. If this access point islocated at a checkout station 34, the access point may instruct the carttransceiver to enter into a data collection mode in which it monitorsand reports a wider range of events and conditions than usual. Forexample, if the cart transceiver includes an EAS receiver, it maypower-up this receiver for purposes of detecting passage between a pairof EAS towers. In addition, if the wheel 32 includes a rotation sensor,the cart transceiver may monitor the wheel's rotation, such as bycounting the number of rotation interrupts that occur. The carttransceiver may also periodically generate and store RSSI values for theaccess point transmissions it hears.

Upon passage through a set of EAS towers (if used) or entry into an exitzone 48, the cart transceiver may send the collected data (wheel speedhistory, RSSI values, magnetic marker or EAS detection events, etc.) toan access point for analysis to determine whether a payment event hasoccurred. The active/inactive state of the checkout register/station 34corresponding to the cart's path may also be considered.

The task of evaluating the collected data is preferably handledprimarily by the access points and/or the CCU, but could alternativelybe handled partially or wholly by the cart transceivers (CTs). Datacollected by two or more different access points, potentially includingaccess points that are not near the checkout stations 34, may beanalyzed in combination for purposes of assessing whether a paymentevent occurred. For example, as a cart moves from one zone to another,it may communicate with a number of different access points. The historyof these communications may be aggregated (e.g., by the CCU) andanalyzed to estimate the cart's navigation path over time, and thisestimated path may in turn be considered in assessing whether thecustomer has paid.

In some configurations, checkout activity may be monitored withoutproviding access points (APs) at the checkout stations 34. In theseconfigurations, the system may detect that a cart has passed or ispassing through a checkout lane based on one or more of the following:(1) detection by the wheel 32 of a magnetic marker that uniquelyidentifies a particular checkout lane; (2) if the store has VLF signallines/transmitters or EAS towers in the checkout lanes, detection by thecart transceiver (CT) of a VLF or EAS signal, optionally in conjunctionwith location history information indicating that the cart is in thegeneral vicinity of a checkout lane.

FIG. 3 illustrates one example of the decision logic that may be used todetermine whether to enable a cart 30 to exit the store. This logic maybe embodied in software executed by the CCU, an access point, and/or acart transceiver, and may be executed upon detecting that a cart isattempting to exit the store. This logic uses data acquired via two-waycommunications with the cart to infer whether the cart is being used tosteal merchandise (referred to as an “inferred theft” or “pushout”event).

As depicted by blocks 60 and 62, if it is determined that the cart didnot recently pass through a checkout lane, the wheel 32 is caused tolock. Otherwise, a determination is made whether the checkout station 34detected as being used by the cart was in an active state at the time(block 64). This determination may be made in a variety of ways. Forexample, in some stores, the CCU may be able to get this informationsubstantially in real time from a centralized store computer system thatconnects to the individual POS registers. Thus, for example, if magneticmarkers (MAG) are provided in the checkout lanes, the wheel 32 may sensethe unique magnetic code of its checkout lane and relay this informationto the CCU via an access point; the CCU may then query the central storecomputer system to determine the state of the register. Theactive/inactive determination may alternatively be made by an accesspoint (AP) mounted at the checkout station; for example, the accesspoint may include or be locally connected to an acoustic sensor thatsenses the beep sound produced by the merchandise scanners, or mayinclude a light-based sensor or pressure-sensitive floor mat thatdetects whether a cashier is present at the station.

If the checkout station 34 was inactive in the example shown in FIG. 3,the wheel is caused to lock unless the average wheel speed through thecheckout area is sufficiently low to indicate a likely payment event(block 66). If the checkout station was active, the cart is permitted toexit unless, in some embodiments, the average wheel speed issufficiently high to indicate that the customer did not stop to pay(blocks 68-72).

As will be apparent, the decision logic shown in FIG. 3 can be varied ina number of ways. For example, the determination of whether to permitthe cart to exit can be made without regard to the identity of thecheckout lane used; for instance, the cart may be authorized to exit aslong as it passed through some checkout lane with an average wheel speedfalling below a selected threshold. As another example, thedetermination whether to authorize the exit may be made without regardto wheel speed; for instance, the exit event may be authorized as longas the cart passed through a checkout lane that was active. Othercriteria that may be considered include the following: (1) the totalamount of time the cart spent in the store since its last entry, (2)whether the cart passed through an area that includes high priced and/orfrequently stolen merchandise, as determined, e.g., based on whether thecart communicated with (or exceeded a specific threshold RSSI with) aparticular access point (AP) or sensed a particular magnetic marker(MAG) or VLF code.

Further, in addition or as an alternative to locking the wheel 32 asshown in FIG. 3, some other action may be taken in response to theinferred theft event. Examples include activating a visual and/or audioalarm, and generating a capture event to a digital video recorder.

III. Cart Transceiver and Wheel Electronics (FIGS. 4 and 5)

FIG. 4 illustrates some of the different types of components that may beprovided in or in conjunction with the cart transceiver (CT) accordingto one embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, all of thecomponents shown in FIG. 4 are mounted inside the shopping cart wheel32. As discussed below, some of the components shown in FIG. 4 mayalternatively be provided elsewhere on the cart 20, such as in a displayunit mounted to the shopping cart, or in another portion of the wheelassembly (e.g., in the caster). The design illustrated in FIG. 4 anddescribed below can be varied widely without departing from the scope ofthe invention.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the cart transceiver (CT) includes amicrocontroller 80 that communicates with an RF transceiver 82. Themicrocontroller is preferably a low power device that includes aself-programmable flash memory, RAM, and a set of integrated peripheralcircuits such as an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) and a multichannelCounter/Timer Circuit (CTC). An Atmel ATMegal 68V-10MI is one example ofa microcontroller that is suitable for use. The microcontroller 80 andRF transceiver 82 collectively act as a programmable RF transceiversystem. The RF transceiver system may alternatively be implementedwithout the use of a separate microcontroller; for example, an IC devicethat includes both an RF transceiver and a processor, such as aTI/Chipcon cc2510, may be used. As another example, the microcontroller80 could be replaced with another type of controller device, such as acustom ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

The RF transceiver 82 is preferably either a 2.4 GHz or 5.7-5.8 GHztransceiver, although other frequency bands such as UHF can be used. TheRF transceiver 82 preferably has the following attributes: (1) very lowpower for periodic wakeup and receive, (2) modulation that isinsensitive to phase reversal (e.g., Frequency Shift Keying or FSK), (3)log linear RSSI measurement, (4) hardware support for Clear ChannelAssessment (CCA). One example of an RF transceiver that may be used is aTI/Chipcon cc2500. One useful feature of this RF transceiver device isthat it is capable of receiving transmissions while the microcontroller80 is in an inactive state, and waking up the microcontroller if thereceived transmission matches pre-programmed criteria. The RFtransceiver 82 is coupled to an antenna 84, which preferably has adifferential ended antenna port so that no balun is needed when using apreferred differential antenna 84.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the cart transceiver (CT) also optionallyincludes a VLF receiver 88 for detecting VLF signal lines 44. The VLFreceiver 88 may, for example, be an 8 kHz receiver that is compatiblewith existing shopping cart containment systems, and which is capable ofdetecting a code transmitted via a VLF line. The cart transceiver alsoincludes an optional Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) receiver 90for detecting EAS tower interrogations as described above. To conservepower, the microcontroller 82 preferably maintains the EAS receiver 90in an inactive state except when certain types of events are detected,such as events evidencing a possible checkout or store exit event. TheEAS receiver 90 is preferably tunable by the microcontroller 80 to thevarious frequencies commonly used for EAS.

As shown in FIG. 4, the microcontroller 80 is connected to a rotationsensor 92, a vibration sensor 94, and a magnetic sensor 96. One or moreof these sensors may alternatively be omitted. The rotation sensor 92enables the microcontroller 80 to detect wheel rotation events, and maybe implemented using mechanical, optical, and/or electromagneticcomponents. By measuring the number of rotations that occur over aperiod of time, the microcontroller 80, and/or an access point or theCCU, can determine the wheel's average rotation speed and the cart'saverage speed.

The vibration sensor 94, if present, enables the microcontroller 80 todetect wheel vibration/skid events commonly caused when a motorizedshopping cart retriever 40 pushes or pulls a cart whose wheel is lockedor has an improper orientation. One example of a vibration sensor designthat may be used is shown in FIG. 5 and is discussed below. Upondetecting a skid event, the cart transceiver may transmit an alertmessage to a nearby access point, which in some cases may be an accesspoint mounted to a motorized cart retriever 40. The retriever-mountedaccess point may respond to such an alert message by generating a signalthat disables the cart retriever 40 and/or causes an alarm on the cartretriever 40 to be activated. This feature of the invention may, in someembodiments, be implemented without two-way communications with thecarts; for example, the wheel's RF transceiver 82 could be replaced withan RF transmitter, such that the wheel 32 transmits skid alert messagesbut does not received any data.

The magnetic field sensor 96, if present, enables the microcontroller 80to detect magnetic markers (MAG) of the type described above. Themagnetic sensor 96 may, for example, be one of the following: (1) atwo-axis magnetic sensor capable of measuring the value of the twomagnetic field components in an object's plane of motion; (2) a “2½axis” sensor that can measure two magnetic field components and thealgebraic sign of a third component, or (3) a three-axis magnetic fieldsensor that measures each of the three independent magnetic fieldcomponents. When the magnetic field sensor 96 initially detects a likelymagnetic marker in one embodiment, the microcontroller begins bufferingthe output of the magnetic field sensor, and continues such bufferinguntil the microcontroller determines that the wheel 32 has likelyfinished passing over the marker. The cart transceiver (CT) thentransmits the buffered data to an access point (AP) for analysistogether with wheel rotation-sensor data. The access point or the CCUthen analyzes this data to determine whether a magnetic marker wasactually crossed, and if so, to identify the unique code of this marker.This analysis could alternatively be performed by the cart transceiver(CT), and the result transmitted to an access point.

One additional type of sensor that may be included in the wheel 32 is aheading sensor (not shown in FIG. 4) that senses the orientation of thewheel 32, and thus the direction of travel of the cart 30. If a headingsensor is provided, data collected by the rotation and heading sensorsmay be used in combination by the cart transceiver, an access point, orthe CCU to calculate the cart's location relative to one or more knownreference points. Examples of algorithms that may be used for thispurpose are described in the Navigation Patent Application referencedabove.

Various other types of sensors and receivers may additionally oralternatively be included in the wheel 32 or wheel assembly. Forexample, in some applications, it may be feasible to include a GPS(Global Positioning System) receiver in the wheel or wheel assembly, orto include another type of electronic device that is capable ofcalculating its position based on received RF, optical, or ultrasonicsignals. Further, the wheel 32 could transmit a signal that is used byan external node or system to detect the wheel's location, and the wheelcould then be notified of its location via an access point.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the microcontroller 80 generates a drivesignal that controls the state of the wheel's braking unit 100, such asby driving a brake motor, to change the locked/unlocked state of thewheel. Decisions to lock the brake may be made by the microcontroller80, an access point (AP), and/or the CCU, depending upon the system'sconfiguration and the scenario involved. For example, themicrocontroller 80 may be programmed to automatically lock the wheel, inthe absence of a command to the contrary, whenever a VLF or EAS signalis detected. As another example, lock decisions that are not responsiveto detection of a VLF or EAS signal may be made by an access point orthe CCU. As mentioned above, in some embodiments a braking unit 100 thatsupports partial braking may be used; in such embodiments, themicrocontroller may gradually engage the brake whenever a lock decisionis made so that the cart does not stop suddenly.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the cart transceiver (CT) and the brake unit100 are powered by a power subsystem 104. The power subsystem 104preferably includes either a battery, or a power generator thatgenerates a power signal from the rotation of the wheel 32. If a powergenerator is used, the power signal is preferably provided to acapacitor, or other energy reservoir, so that power continues to besupplied to the wheel's active components when the wheel is stopped.Examples of power generator designs that may be used in the wheel 32 aredescribed in the Power Generation Patent Application referenced above,the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

In some embodiments of the invention, the brake unit 100 may be omittedfrom the wheels 32. In these embodiments, the system may track andreport the locations and statuses of the carts 30 or other vehicleswithout attempting to stop their movement.

FIG. 4 also depicts an optional LED indicator 110 that may be providedon a visible portion of the wheel 32 or wheel assembly. This LEDindicator may be strobed by the microcontroller 80 to visually indicatethat the cart 30 is in a particular state. For example, if the wheel iscurrently locked, and a particular type of command is received from themobile control unit (MCU), the microcontroller may strobe the LED at alow duty cycle for several seconds; this feature may be used to enablestore personnel to efficiently identify carts whose wheels are locked.Alternatively, the indicator may be electromechanical, e.g. a highlyvisible feature, such as a bright orange piece of a suitable material,may be made visible and invisible via an electromechanical devicecontrolled by the microcontroller 80.

FIG. 5 illustrates one example of a vibration sensor 94 that may be usedin the wheel 32. The vibration sensor 94 includes a striker mass 114attached at the end of a cantilever spring 116. When vibration of asufficient amplitude occurs along the vertical axis, the striker mass114 strikes a piezoelectric crystal 118, causing the piezoelectriccrystal to generate a voltage. The output signal is optionally bufferedby an opamp 120 before being fed to a counter input of themicrocontroller 80. The microcontroller counts the number of pulsesgenerated by the vibration sensor per unit time to evaluate whether thevibration matches the skid profile of a wheel 32, and generates a skidalert message on the wireless tracking network if it does. The frequencyresponse of the vibration sensor 94 may be tuned by varying thecharacteristics of the striker mass 114, spring 116, and an elastometricsnubber 122.

Various other types of vibration sensors can alternatively be used. Forexample, a disturbance switch, such as a 10651-X-000 disturbance switchfrom Aerodyne Controls, may be used.

The rotation sensor, if included, may be similar to the vibrationdetector shown in FIG. 5, but with the free striker mass 114 replacedwith one or more bumps molded inside the wheel. These bumps are arrangedto push a striker against the piezoelectric crystal during wheelrotations. The bumps may be spaced unevenly so that forward rotation canbe distinguished from reverse rotation. Various other types of rotationsensors, including those that use magnets such as Hall Effect sensors,may alternatively be used.

IV. Wheel Configuration and Antenna Radiation Pattern (FIGS. 6-8)

FIG. 6 is a breakaway view of a wheel 32 attached to a metal caster 134(also commonly referred to as a “fork”). The wheel 32 and caster 134collectively form a wheel assembly that is adapted to be attached(screwed in) to a shopping cart in place of a standard-size shoppingcart wheel assembly. The drawing illustrates how the RF transceiver'santenna 84 may be configured and positioned in the wheel 32 in a 2.4 GHzimplementation. Ideally, a straight antenna with a length of 1.6 incheswould be used for 2.4 GHz implementations. Because such an antenna doesnot easily fit is a suitable location in a standard 5″ wheel, a shorterantenna is used, with the antenna curved to match the curvature of theinner surface of the wheel's rotating portion. Different antennaconfigurations would typically be used for designs that use otherfrequency bands, such as UHF or 5.7-5.8 GHz.

The antenna 84 is preferably formed on a printed circuit board 85 thatremains stationary as the wheel rotates. This same printed circuit boardalso includes the various electronic components shown in FIG. 4. Tocompensate for its shorter than ideal length, the antenna 84 is coupledto a pair of spiral inductors 130, each of which has an inductance ofabout 1.25 nanohenries. Each such inductor 130 is preferably connectedvia a respective 1.3 pF capacitor (not shown) to a differential outputof the RF transceiver 82. The arrow in FIG. 6 illustrates the directionof the strongest antenna radiation, which is preferably somewhat upwardsince the access point antennas typically reside at a higher elevationthan the wheels 32.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the antenna configuration shown in FIG. 6produces an unoccluded radiation pattern 132 that extends horizontallyoutward from the back and sides of the wheel. Signal transmissions inthe direction of wheel movement tend to be attenuated to a much greaterdegree as the result of the metal caster 134. In some embodiments thecaster may be non-conducting, in which case the attenuation of thesignal in the forward direction is much less severe.

FIG. 8 is another view illustrating how various other components may bearranged inside the wheel 32. In this example, the wheel is powered by abattery 104, although the battery may be replaced with a power generatoras described above. The other illustrated components include the printedcircuit board 85; a brake motor 142 that drives a drive mechanism 144(set of gears) to control the locked/unlock state of the wheel 32; and adrive band 148 that expands and contracts under control of the motor tocome into and out of contact with the rotating portion of the wheel 32.All of the internal components mentioned above are fully contained andenclosed within the wheel (behind a cover plate that is not shown inFIG. 8) such that they cannot be seen by the user of the shopping cart,and cannot easily be tampered with.

In other embodiments, some or all of the electronic and brakingcomponents may reside outside the wheel 32, such as in an enclosedplastic housing that forms part of the caster.

V. Embodiment with RF Transceiver Circuitry in Display Unit (FIG. 9)

FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment in which some of the cart transceiver(CT) circuitry is included in a handle-mounted display unit 150, ratherthan the wheel 32. The handle mounted display unit 150 includes adisplay screen 152, such as a touch screen, that is viewable by thecustomer while pushing the shopping cart 30. The display screen 152 isconnected to a master microcontroller 80A, which is connected to an RFtransceiver 82. The master microcontroller 80A and the RF transceiver 82may be the same as the microcontroller 80 and RF transceiver 82 used inthe embodiment of FIG. 4. The wheel 32 includes a slave microcontroller80B, which may be a more basic (lower functionality) device than themaster microcontroller 80A. The wheel 32 also includes a power generatorsubsystem 104 that includes a power generator and reservoir.

The wheel electronics and the display unit 150 are connected by a pairof wires 154, which may be routed through or on the shopping cart'sframe. These wires are used to supply power from the wheel's powergenerator subsystem 104 to the display unit 150, and are also used fortwo-way communications between the two microcontrollers 80A, 80B. Thedisplay unit 150 may also include a battery for enabling the displayunit to continue to operate when the wheel's power reservoir is deeplydischarged. The two-wire connection is made via a pair of couplingtransformers 156A, 156B. One example of a mechanical coupling that maybe used to pass the transformer coupled signals from the wheel's PCB tothe cart frame and thence to the display unit 150 is described in thePower Generation Patent Application referenced above.

The two microcontrollers 80A, 80B communicate in half duplex mode usinga one-wire protocol. A variety of suitable one-wire protocols are knownin the art. One example is the protocol defined by the ISO 11898-1Controller Area Network (CAN) specification. To transmit data from thedisplay unit 150 to the wheel 32, the master microcontroller 80A setsthe I/O port that is connected to the coupling transformer 156A to“output,” and the slave microcontroller 80B sets its I/O port to“input.” The master microcontroller then toggles its I/O port output onand off at one of two frequencies to generate an FSK signal. The ACcomponent of that signal couples onto the power line through thecoupling transformer 156A and passes through the other couplingtransformer 156B. The slave microcontroller 80B can distinguish betweenthe two FSK frequencies by counting the number of crossings per unittime. Transmissions in the opposite direction occur in the same manner.The two microcontrollers 80A and 80B may be programmed such that some orall of the events detected via the VLF receiver 88, vibration sensor 94,and rotation sensor 92 (and/or other sensors included in the wheel) arereported to the master microcontroller 80A so that they may, ifappropriate, be reported to an access point.

The electrical coupling between the wheel 32 and the display unit 150can be varied in a number of ways. For example, a third wire may beadded to directly connect the two I/O ports, so that the two couplingtransformers 156A, 156B can be omitted. As another example, the powergenerator may be omitted from the wheel 32, and the wheel electronicsmay be powered by a battery in the display unit. In yet anotherembodiment, the wired connection is omitted, and wheel 32 and thedisplay unit 150 communicate with each other solely by RF and arepowered by their own respective power sources.

In some implementations, the display unit 150 may have a card reader160, such as a magnetic card reader or a barcode scanner, that enables acustomer to swipe a customer loyalty card or another type of card thatidentifies the customer. In these implementations, the cart transceivermay be configured to convey the customer identifier to an access pointsuch that this identifier can be associated with the other cart eventsdetected during the customer's shopping session.

The display unit 150 may additionally or alternatively include or beconnected to a merchandise ID reader 162, which may be a barcode scanneror RFID reader. In the case of an RDIF reader, the CT may use cartmovement data (e.g., as determined using a wheel rotation sensor) incombination with data from the RFID reader to identify products that arein the cart. For example, if the cart is has moved forward by a selecteddistance (e.g. 20 feet) and the RFID reader is still detecting thepresence of a particular product, the product may be treated as being inthe cart (as opposed, for example, to being on in a nearby cart or on anearby shelf).

If a merchandise ID reader is provided and is used by the customer, thedisplay unit 150 may, for example, display the names and prices of theitems selected by the customer to purchase, and may convey thisinformation to an access point (AP). The display unit may also displayrecommendations of related products. In some implementations, a singlescanner or reader device such as a barcode scanner may serve as both amerchandise scanner 162 and a loyalty card reader 160. The display unit150 may also include a beeper, chirper, or other audio signal generator(not shown) that outputs an audio signal when a new message is initiallydisplayed, or when the customer's attention is otherwise desired.

VI. Access Point Design (FIG. 10)

FIG. 10 shows the design of an access point (AP) according to oneembodiment of the invention. The access point includes a power supply170 that receives power from a power source. For indoor installations,an AC power source will typically be used, while for outdoorinstallations, a solar cell and/or a battery may be used for thoseoutdoor locations where providing AC or DC power is infeasible. Theaccess point optionally includes or is coupled to a register activitysensor 172 capable of sensing whether a checkout register is currentlyactive. Such a sensor may be used, as described above, when the accesspoint is mounted at a checkout station 34.

In one embodiment, the register activity sensor 172 is an acousticsensor that is trained or trainable to detect the audible beep generatedby conventional merchandise scanners. When this type of sensor is used,the access point (AP) treats the register as active when beep signals ofsufficient amplitude and/or specific frequency content are beingdetected at regular intervals. Beep signals of adjacentregisters/scanners can typically be filtered out and ignored based ontheir lower volume at the location of the access point. The acousticregister activity sensor may either be mounted inside the housing of theaccess point, or may be connected to the access point by a pair of smallwires.

Various other types of register activity sensors 172 may alternativelybe used. For example, an infrared or LED sensor, or a weight sensorpositioned under a mat, may be used to detect whether a cashier ispresent at the register. As another example, the access point maypassively monitor the register's wired interface (typically an RS-422differential full duplex interface) to the store's point-of-sale centralsystem, and may infer that the register is active when signals aredetected that reflect common activity patterns. Further, in someinstallations, information about the active/inactive states of theregisters/checkout stations may be obtained by querying a preexistingstore computer that maintains such information, and thus without the useof a register activity sensor 172.

As illustrated in FIG. 10, the access point (AP) includes amicrocontroller 180 and an RF transceiver 182, both of which may be thesame as in the cart transceivers (CTs). A set of switches 186A and 186Benable the RF transceiver's output to be selectively amplified via an RFpower amplifier 188. One example of a power amplifier that may be usedis a Tyco M/A-COM MAAPS0066 device.

The access point also includes a three-way switch 190 that enables theRF transceiver 182 to be connected to an internal antenna, a firstexternal antenna port, or a second external antenna port. The internalantenna is preferably used primarily or exclusively for communicationswith other access points and/or the CCU. The external antenna ports maybe used to connect one or two directional antennas to the access point.These directional antennas may be used to create zones for communicatingwith and tracking the locations of cart transceivers, as describedabove. One example of how an access point can use the two externalantennas to create two different control zones is shown in FIG. 15 anddiscussed below. A directional antenna may also be used to provideconnectivity when an access point is mounted at a relatively remotelocation, such as in a distant area of the store parking lot, where thegain of the internal antenna is insufficient to achieve reliablecommunication. In alternate embodiments, the access points may support agreater number of external antennas, and/or may include two or morecomplete RF subsystems (see FIG. 17, discussed below).

The access point also includes an interface 192 for enabling themicrocontroller 180 to communicate with a store security system. Thisinterface 192 may be used for various purposes, such as the following:(1) notifying the store security system of whether the AP is receivingAC power or has experienced an internal fault; (2) enabling the securitysystem to place the APs in a “safe mode” in which the APs command all ofthe cart transceivers to remain unlocked at the building exits; thismode may be used when, for example, a fire alarm occurs; (3) activatinga security system alarm, or generating a video surveillance captureevent, in response to an inferred theft event.

The various components of the access point may be housed within aplastic or other housing that is adapted to be mounted to a fixed ormobile structure. The housing may, for example, be approximately thesize of a standard chalk board eraser.

Where fine grain tracking of in-store customer activity is desired,access points can be positioned strategically throughout the store, suchas in every department, aisle, checkout area, etc. Each such accesspoint may be configured to periodically (e.g., once every 5 seconds)identify, and report to the CCU, all of the cart transceivers in itsrespective zone.

The design of the transceiver used in the CCU may be the same as orsimilar to the access point design shown in FIG. 10.

VII. Communications Protocol (FIGS. 11-13)

One example of a protocol that may be used for wireless communicationsbetween “controllers” (devices that initiate transmissions) and“targets” (devices that respond to communications from a controller)will now be described with reference to FIGS. 11-13. In the preferredembodiment, the cart transceivers and the CCU act only as targets,meaning that they do not initiate transmissions on the wireless network.Access points (APs) and mobile control units (MCUs), on the other hand,are capable of acting as either a controller or a target. In otherembodiments, the CCU may be capable of acting as a controller. Forpurposes of illustration, the protocol will be described herein in thecontext of communications between the access points (acting ascontrollers) and the cart transceivers, although the description is alsoapplicable to other types of nodes.

The protocol advantageously allows the cart transceivers to remain in avery low power state most of the time. For example, in one embodiment,each cart transceiver (CT) wakes up approximately every 1.8 seconds tolisten for a transmission from an access point, and then returns to itslow power state after one millisecond if it does not receive atransmission that requires a response or other action. If the carttransceiver detects an AP transmission that requires a response, itremains active until a response window occurs, and then transmits itsresponse to the access point.

The cart transceiver (CT) can adjust the frequency with which it wakesup under specific conditions where lower communication latency isdesirable and where the extra power consumption is acceptable, e.g. whenpassing through a very narrow exit zone or by a potential payment point.As one example, an access point that has a small antenna footprint orzone may command nearby CTs to wake up more frequently when detectingRSSI levels above a specified threshold.

The access points preferably use both unicast (target-specific) andmulti-cast addressing to send messages to the cart transceivers. Anexample of a multi-cast message is a message addressed to “all carttransceivers that are locked,” or “all cart transceivers of carts thatare moving.” Because multiple cart transceivers can respond to amulticast transmission, the response window is divided into multipleresponse slots, and the cart transceivers pseudo-randomly select betweenthe available response slots. The access point acknowledges theresponses it receives, enabling the cart transceivers to detect andretry unsuccessful responses (e.g., those that produced collisions).

FIG. 11 illustrates a scenario in which an access point AP sends amulticast message that is applicable to four cart transceiver (CT)devices. Solid boxes in FIG. 11 represent packet transmissions, anddashed boxes represent packet receptions or reception slots. The accesspoint (AP) initially sends a sequence of wakeup packets. As illustrated,each wakeup packet includes the following: (1) a synchronizationpattern, (2) a source address (i.e., the unique address of thetransmitting access point), (3) a destination address (e.g., “allcarts,” “all carts in category X,” or “cart 12345”), (4) a command, (5)an RSSI threshold (i.e., a minimum RSSI value that needs to be detectedby the cart transceiver for the cart transceiver to respond), (6) awindow begin time indicating a length of time before the response windowbegins, (7) the size of the response window, (8) the number of slots inthe response window, and (9) a CRC value.

In one embodiment, the RSSI threshold refers to a filtered RSSI value,so that a cart transceiver will not respond to an AP when the carttransceiver is not in the AP's antenna footprint or zone, even ifanomalous RF propagation causes a single RSSI measurement to beanomalously high. The RSSI filtering method may be similar to the methoddescribed below in the section on queue count estimation, though theparameters of the method may be adjusted to reflect that this filtercomputation is preferably performed by the relatively low-power carttransceivers rather than the APs. A CT may generate a filtered RSSIvalue for a given AP from wakeup-packet-specific RSSI values generatedby the CT during the wakeup sequence, and/or from RSSI values generatedfrom recent transmissions of the AP.

The slot length is specified implicitly by the combination of theresponse window size and the number of slots. Typically, the AP willselect a slot size that corresponds to the expected response size giventhe type of command being issued.

In cases where the command including its parameters is too long to fitin the space allocated in the wakeup message format, the command fieldpresent in the wakeup packet indicates the nature of a forthcomingcommand. The response window beginning time is then interpreted by theCT as the beginning of an additional transmission from the access pointwhich contains the remainder of the command. The response window thenfollows immediately after the additional command information. Any CTwhich receives the wakeup and which is a potential addresse of thecommand based on the information present in the wakeup message will thenwake up as if the CT did have a response, receive the additional commandinformation, and then determine whether a response is required.

Table 1 lists some of the commands that can be issued to a carttransceiver. In general, these commands may be issued from either an APor a MCU, though it is unlikely that certain commands would be issuedfrom an MCU, e.g. Report zone entry.

TABLE 1 EXAMPLE COMMANDS ISSUED TO CARTS Command Description Report zoneentry A CT that is a target of this command responds if it is in theAP's zone, as determined by measuring the filtered RSSI of the AP'stransmission, and if the CT has not previously reported being in theAP's zone within a time period specified by the command. As an energyconsumption and RF spectrum use optimization, CTs report once when theyenter a zone, then restate their presence in the zone at a configurableinterval which is set in the command from the AP Unconditional lock A CTthat is a target of this command immediately locks its wheel if notalready locked. Such a command may, for example, be transmittedcontinuously by an AP positioned near the entrance/exit of a parking lotthat is surrounded by a fence, such that installation of a VLF line canbe avoided. Unconditional unlock A CT that is a target of this commandimmediately unlocks its wheel if locked. Such a command may, forexample, be transmitted continuously by an AP that defines a parking lotarea in which cart use is permitted (e.g., an area adjacent to anunconditional lock zone). See FIGS. 15-17, discussed below, for examplesof how the unconditional lock and unlock commands can be used to createRSSI-based lock and unlock zones. You are being retrieved An AP mountedon a cart retrieval unit 40 may transmit this command continuously toall carts falling in its zone, as created via a directional antenna. ACT that receives this command may do one or more of the following: (1)enter an unlocked state if currently locked, (2) refrain from locking ifa VLF signal is detected, (3) enable skid detection, or change theparameters used for skid detection. Initiate queue count All CTs thatare targets of this command initiate a queue counting procedure in whichthey transmit messages in sequence, and measure and report the resultingRSSI values of the transmissions they hear. This data is then used bythe initiating AP, or another node (e.g., the CCU), to estimate thenumber of carts that are queued. Status request A CT that is the targetof this command returns predefined status information, which may includebattery level, lock/unlock status, number of lock/unlock cyclesperformed, results of any diagnostic operations or detected faults, andvarious other types of information. Query calibration, A CT that is thetarget of this command returns one or more configuration, and modevalues of calibration constants, configuration information, or constantsquasi-constant values which affect the wheel's behavior. This command isdistinguished from “Status request” in that the values returned by thisquery cannot change as a result of external events, but only as a resultof being explicitly set by a “Set calibration, configuration, and modeconstants” command. Set calibration, A CT that is the target of thiscommand changes one or more configuration, and mode values ofcalibration constants, configuration information, or constantsquasi-constant values which affect the wheel's behavior according to thecontent of the command. Program Download This command is issued inunicast mode only, and is used to upgrade the program code executed bythe target CT

With further reference to FIG. 11, because the wakeup sequence exceedsthe duty cycle of the cart transceivers, all four cart transceiversdetect a wake up packet and respond during one of the four responseslots. Each response is in the form of an acknowledgement (ACK) packetthat includes the following: (1) a synchronization pattern, (2) a sourceaddress (i.e., the unique address of the responding cart transceiver),(3) a destination address (i.e., the unique address of the accesspoint), (4) a response message, the content of which depends on thecommand from the access point, (5) an async request (discussed below),(6) a filtered RSSI value measured by the cart transceiver during thepreceding wake up sequence, and (7) a CRC value.

The async field provides a mechanism for a cart transceiver to notifythe access point that it has some unsolicited data to report. The carttransceiver may have such data to report when, for example, it detects aVLF field code, EAS signal, magnetic marker, or skid event. In oneembodiment, the cart transceiver uses the async field to notify theaccess point of the type of the unsolicited data; the access pointthereafter schedules a unicast interrogation of the cart transceiver toretrieve this data. Because the access points ordinarily transmitcommands, such as “report zone entry” commands, on a regular basis(e.g., every few seconds), the async feature provides a mechanism forall types of cart status information to be retrieved substantially inreal time.

In the example shown in FIG. 11, the ACK packets from CT1 and CT2 aresuccessfully received and acknowledged by the access point. The ACKpackets from CT3 and CT4, on the other hand, collide with each other andare not acknowledged. CT3 and CT4 determine that their responses werenot successfully received by the absence of an acknowledgement. CT3 andCT4 thereafter successfully retry their ACK packet transmissions,resulting in the access point's acknowledgement of both.

FIG. 12 illustrates a program loop that may be executed by each carttransceiver to implement the protocol described above. FIG. 13illustrates steps performed to implement the “command requires response”decision block in FIG. 12.

Because the access points (APs) are capable of transmitting atsignificantly higher power levels than the cart transceivers (CTs), asignificantly higher bit rate is preferably used for the downlink to thecarts than for the uplink to the access points. This reduces thedisparity that would otherwise result between the transmission ranges ofthe two types of devices. The relatively high bit rate on the downlinkalso allows the access points to send out wakeup packets at a reasonablyhigh rate (e.g., one every two milliseconds); consequently, the carttransceivers only have to listen for a wakeup packet for a very shorttime before re-entering a low-power state.

Frequency hopping may be used for transmissions in both directions. Theaccess points preferably maintain synchronization with each other bymonitoring transmissions from the CCU or each other.

VIII. Storage and Analysis of Cart History Data (FIG. 14)

FIG. 14 illustrates one embodiment of a CCU configured to analyze cartevent data acquired via two-way communications with the carttransceivers (CTs). As illustrated, the CCU receives cart event datasubstantially in real time as such data is retrieved or generated by theaccess points. Each such event may, for example, include an event type,an event timestamp, the ID of the access point (AP) reporting the event,the ID of the cart transceiver (CT) to which the event applies (ifapplicable), and any associated data. For example, an event may specifythat AP#1 detected CT#2 into its zone at a particular time, and thatCT#2 reported an RSSI value of X.

The CCU stores the event data in an event histories database 210, whichmay be a relational database. Each cart session record 212 shown in theevent histories database corresponds to a particular cart and shoppingsession, and contains the event data associated with that shoppingsession. In one embodiment, the CCU treats a cart's entry into the storeas the beginning of a shopping session, and treats the cart's subsequentexit from the store as the end of a shopping session; however, differentcriteria may be used for different store configurations andapplications. The cart IDs may be the unique IDs or addresses of thecorresponding cart transceivers.

The CCU also preferably accesses a database 220 of purchase transactiondata and customer profile data maintained by or obtained from thestore's central computer. As illustrated, this database 220 may containrecords 222 of specific purchase transactions of specific customers,including identifiers of the purchased items.

As illustrated, a given session record 212 may, in some cases, include astore transaction ID and/or a customer number. The store transaction IDidentifies the checkout transaction, if known, as produced by aconventional point-of-sale system and recorded in the database 220. Thetransaction IDs are attached to the corresponding session records 212 byan event-history/transaction correlation component 214 that runs on theCCU. In one embodiment, this component 214 compares purchase transactiondata stored in database 220 with the cart event data to uniquely matchspecific transaction records 222 with specific cart session records 212.This may be accomplished by, for example, comparing the data/time stampand register ID information contained in a store transaction record 222to the cart event data reflective of a checkout event. If a sufficientdegree of correspondence exists between time and location, a givensession record 212 may be matched to a given transaction record 222.

If the recorded time and location information is insufficient to matchthe cart session under consideration to a particular transaction, thecorrelation component 214 may compare the items identifiers contained inthe potentially matching transaction records 222 to the path taken bythe cart. A database 230 of store and access point configuration datamay be used for this purpose. If, for example, a particular transactionincludes items (and especially bulky items) that are not available alongthe path followed by the cart, the transaction may be excluded as acandidate. If, on the other hand, the purchased items closely match thecart path, a match may be deemed to exist.

The customer number field in the cart session records 212 may be used tostore a customer loyalty number, if known. This number may be obtainedfrom the matching transaction record 222, or in embodiments in which thecart includes a display unit 150 with a card reader 160 (FIG. 9), fromthe event data retrieved from the cart transceiver. If the customerloyalty number is acquired via a card reader on the cart, the acquirednumber may also be used to match the cart session record 212 to acorresponding transaction record 222.

The analysis components that run on the CCU in the example embodiment ofFIG. 14 include a real time analysis component 240 and an off-linestatistical analysis component 250. The real time analysis component 240analyzes event data as it is acquired for purposes of identifying realtime actions to take. Examples of action that may be taken includetransmitting a particular command (e.g., a lock command) to a particularcart, activating an alarm system or video surveillance camera, alertingpersonnel of the need to retrieve carts from the parking lot, oralerting personnel of the need to open an additional checkout lane.

In embodiments in which the carts 30 include display units, the realtime analysis component 240 may also select location-dependent ads orother messages to present to users. For example, upon entry into aparticular store department, the CCU may instruct the cart to display aparticular ad, promotion, offer, or other message that is specific tothat department. If the customer's loyalty number is known at the time(e.g., as the result of entry via a card reader 160 on the display unit130), the ad or message may also be based on the actions taken by thiscustomer in prior sessions or visits. For example, if the customerregularly purchases milk on visits to the store, and has entered thecheckout area without first entering the area where milk is sold, amessage may be displayed reminding the customer to do so. The contentthat is available for display may be selected from a content database260 and wirelessly downloaded to the cart transceivers, and/or may becached in the display units.

The component 250 labeled “off-line statistical analysis” in FIG. 14 isresponsible for analyzing the cart event history records 212, optionallyin conjunction with corresponding transaction records 222, to minevarious types of information. One type of information that can be minedis information regarding the effectiveness of the store layout,including product locations. For example, by collectively analyzing carthistories and transaction records of many different customers, adetermination may be made that customers frequently linger in aparticular area without selecting a product to purchase, or that theyfrequently look in the wrong location before finding a desired product.The off-line statistical analysis component 250 may also generate datathat can be used for targeted or personalized messaging on the displayunits. Additionally, the off-line statistical analysis component 250 maybe used to determine statistics related to the shopping cart inventoryof the store, for example, the total number of carts physically presenton the premises, the number of carts in active use over specific timeperiods, which firmware revisions (and associated functionality) arepresent in the store's cart inventory, etc.

IX. Use of Lock and Unlock Zones to Set Boundaries (FIGS. 15-17)

FIG. 15 illustrates an example store configuration in which the store issurrounded by a fence 280 that serves as a barrier to shopping cartremoval. The only opening in the fence 280 that is sufficiently largefor cart removal is a car and pedestrian exit. To inhibit theft via thisexit without the need for a relatively expensive VLF signal line, asingle access point (AP) with two directional antennas 282 and 284 ismounted to an exterior wall of the store. The AP repeatedly transmits an“unconditional lock” command on the first antenna 282 to create a lockzone 286, and repeatedly transmits an “unconditional unlock” command onthe second antenna 284 to create an unlock zone. To create these twoadjacent but non-overlapping zones, the directional antennas may bespaced apart from each other by an appropriate distance (e.g., 10 feet)and elevated from the ground, and may be pointed somewhat outward anddownward to form corresponding RSSI-based lobes or zones at groundlevel. Each such zone 286, 288 extends from the wall of the store to andbeyond the fence 280.

With this configuration, a customer attempting to push a cart 30 throughthe parking lot exit will have to pass through the lock zone 286,causing the wheel 32 to lock. Upon encountering the lock event, thecustomer may attempt to drag the cart back to the front of the store,such as to get back a monetary deposit placed on the cart. If thecustomer does so, the cart will enter the unlock zone 288, causing thewheel 32 to unlock. Thus, the wheel damage that might otherwise occurfrom dragging the locked wheel is avoided.

A similar arrangement can be used to control the movement of cartsthrough a building exit. Typically the lock zone 286 would be placed onthe outside of the building exit and the unlock zone 288 on the inside.Alternatively, the lock zone 286 could be placed immediately inside ofthe exit and the unlock zone some greater distance inside the building.

FIG. 16 illustrates another example of how AP-generated lock and unlockzones as described above can be used to control shopping cart usage in astore parking lot. As in the prior examples, each leaf-shaped zonerepresents the area at ground level at which a cart's wheel 32 shouldsee a filtered RSSI that exceeds the threshold specified by thecorresponding AP. The two zones 290, 292 located at the autoentrance/exit are lock zones created by two respective APs, 294 and 296.These APs 294 and 296 may be mounted to poles (not shown) on theperimeter fence 295 surrounding the parking lot, with their directionalantennas angled toward the ground. Because the areas immediately “above”these two APs in the drawing are valid parking areas where carts shouldbe permitted, the antennas are elevated and angled such that these validparking areas do not form part of the lock zones. The two lock zones 290and 292 together provide a good approximation of the ideal lock zone 297represented by the shaded area in FIG. 16.

With further reference to FIG. 16, an additional lock zone 299 covers apedestrian entrance/exit. In addition, a relatively large unlock zone298 is created by an AP mounted near the cart storage area. This unlockzone 298 is positioned relative to the lock zones 290, 292, and 299 suchthat customers who attempt to return a locked cart to the cart storagearea from a lock zone need not travel very far before the wheel isunlocked.

FIG. 17 illustrates an example of how lock and unlock zones can be usedin connection with a strip mall. In this example, the center store isthe user of the system. The desired behavior is: (1) carts cannot escapepast the sidewalk into the street, (2) carts cannot go into the otherstores, and (3) carts cannot get far past the parking immediately infront of the center store. To achieve these objectives, two APs arepositioned near the sidewalk area, such as on respective poles. Each APcreates two lock zones, one which extends from the sidewalk to one ofthe stores that does not use cart containment, and one which extendsalong the sidewalk.

Each AP also optionally creates a relatively large unlock zone thatcovers the majority of the parking area in from of the center store. Toprovide this third zone, each AP may be provided with a thirdexternal/directional antenna. Time slicing may be used to alternatebetween the three antennas, or two separate RF transceivers may beincluded in each AP—one which transmits the unconditional unlock commandand the other which transmits the unconditional lock command. As anotheroption, a separate AP or pair of APs could be provided to create theunlock zone.

As will be apparent, lock and unlock zones as described in this sectionmay be implemented using receivers, rather than transceivers, on theshopping carts 30. Thus, for example, in some embodiments of theinvention, the RF transceivers included in the locking wheels 32 may bereplaced with RF receivers. In addition, lock and unlock zones that arecreated as described herein can also be used for the containment ofother types of carts and vehicles, including but not limited towheelchairs, hospital beds, gurneys, pharmacy carts, and luggage carts.

In embodiments in which the shopping carts include display units 150,the display unit of a cart 30 that is approaching a lock zone may beinstructed to display a warning message. In addition, once the cart hasentered a lock zone and the wheel 32 becomes locked, the display unitmay instruct the user on how to restore the wheel to an unlocked state,including the location of the nearest unlock zone.

X. Queue Count Estimation (FIGS. 18 and 19)

FIG. 18 illustrates a process that may be implemented collectively by anaccess point (AP) and a set of nearby cart transceivers (CTs) toestimate the number of carts 30 currently queued or otherwise clusteredtogether near the access point. This feature has several applications,including the following:

-   -   1. Estimating the number of carts 30 queued at a checkout        station 34. The system may use the result of this        calculation/estimation to automatically alert personnel        regarding the possible need to open an additional checkout        station. Also, the system may generate and report statistics        regarding the distribution of queue lengths over time (e.g., as        a function of time of day, day of week, number of registers        open, etc.).    -   2. Estimating the number of carts 30 present in a defined        storage area, such as a “cart corral” storage area 36 in a store        parking lot (see FIG. 1). In the case of store parking lot        applications, the system may use the results of such        calculations to automatically alert personnel of the need to        retrieve carts from the parking lot.    -   3. Estimating the number of carts being pushed or otherwise        retrieved by an electric cart retriever 40 (FIG. 1). As        mentioned above, the results of such calculations/estimations        may be used to automatically assess whether the cart retriever        is improperly being used to concurrently retrieve more than an        authorized number of carts. If such improper use is detected,        the system may automatically disable the cart retriever 40.

As illustrated in block 300 of FIG. 18, an access point (AP) initiatesthe counting process by broadcasting a “queue count” command togetherwith a threshold RSSI value that controls the size of a response zone.The access point preferably transmits this command from a directionalantenna that is positioned and configured such that the response zoneencompasses, and is larger than, the area in which a queue is expectedto form. The zones may be generally similar in configuration to thezones 46 and 48 shown in FIG. 2. In the case of checkout stations 34,the AP that transmits the command is typically mounted at or close to aparticular checkout station 34, and the zone 46 encompasses the checkoutstation's cart queuing area (see FIG. 2). In the case of cart storageareas 34, the AP is typically mounted to, and the zone encompasses, aparticular cart storage area. In the case of an electric cart retrievalunit 40, the AP is preferably mounted to the cart retrieval unit, andthe zone encompasses the area in which the carts being retrievedtypically reside.

As illustrated in block 302 of FIG. 18, each cart transceiver (CT)within the AP's transmission range measures the RSSI of the AP'stransmission, and if this value exceeds the RSSI threshold, responds toindicate its participation in the queue-size estimation process. (Notethat FIG. 18 only shows the actions of a single one of the manyCTs/carts that may participate, and that each participating CT/cart mayperform the steps shown.) In block 304, the AP identifies the Nparticipating CTs from the responses it receives.

In block 306, the AP assigns a set of k unique transmission timeslots toeach participating CT, and initiates a process in which each CT uses itsassigned timeslots to generate k transmissions, each of which preferablyoccurs at a different frequency. The use of multiple differenttransmission frequencies provides a mechanism for reducing errors causedby frequency-selective effects such as multi-path distortion and antennashadowing. As depicted in blocks 308 and 310, when one CT transmits, theother participating CTs (as well as the AP) measure the RSSI of thetransmission. Thus, during this process, each participating CT generatesk(N−1) RSSI values. Although the k transmissions from a given CT neednot be consecutive (e.g., the transmissions from different CTs may beinterleaved), they are preferably sufficiently close in time such thatsignificant cart movement does not occur between the first and lasttransmissions. In blocks 312 and 314, the AP retrieves the k(N−1) RSSIvalues generated by each participating CT.

In block 316, the AP generates a filtered RSSI value from each set of kRSSI values. In one embodiment, k=8, and the filtered RSSI value isgenerated by discarding the two highest and two lowest RSSI values andthen taking the arithmetic average of the remaining four. Thus, forexample, if CT1 and CT2 both participate, CT1 would generate a separateRSSI value for each of CT2's eight transmissions, and these eight RSSIvalues would be converted into a single filtered RSSI value. Since theRSSI values are preferably log linear, the arithmetic average of theRSSI readings is the log of the geometric mean of the four middlereceived RF power values. The task of generating the filtered RSSIvalues (designated hereinafter by the notation RSSI*) may alternativelybe performed by the CTs that took the corresponding RSSI measurements,or by some other node such as the CCU. Although filtered RSSI values areused in the preferred embodiment, their use is not required.

The result of block 316 is a set of N(N−1) RSSI*_(i→j) values, whereRSSI*_(i→j) is the filtered RSSI of the ith CT as measured at the jthCT. (Note that the term “CT” in this discussion may be replaced with“wheel 32” in embodiments in which the CT is contained within thewheel.)

In block 318, the AP (or some other node) calculates a pair-wisedistance metric for each CT pair i≠j. The preferred method ofcalculating distance metrics takes advantage of, but does not require,temporal stability of the cluster of carts/CTs. The nth iterationdistance metric d(i,j,n) may be defined by the following recurrencerelations:

d(i,j,n)=ƒ(RSSI*_(i→j),RSSI*_(j→i) ,d(i,j,n−1)) andd(i,j,0)=ƒ₀(RSSI*_(i→j), RSSI*_(j→i))

Several different ƒ and ƒ₀ functions can be used in the abovecalculation. Over a statistical ensemble, RSSI* is an invertiblemonotonic function of distance which can be determined bystraightforward experimentation. An AP-CT distance metric may also becalculated for each of the N cart transceivers.

In block 320 of FIG. 18, the AP or another node applies a clusteringalgorithm to the calculated distance metrics to identify any CTs/cartsthat are clustered together. Given N(N−1)/2 d(i,j,n) values for thecurrent n, cluster formation can be performed by locating the CT whichhas the highest RSSI* (which is the CT/cart which is probably closest tothe AP), and forming a cluster by the known algorithm of single-link (orsingle linkage) hierarchical clustering. This may be accomplished asfollows. Begin by considering each CT as in a cluster of its own. Thedistance metric between two clusters is defined as the minimum pair-wisedistance metric between the two clusters. Merge in each step the twoclusters whose two closest members have the smallest distance metric.Merging continues until no two clusters have a distance metric less thana programmable threshold. The cluster which contains the CT probablyclosest to the AP (as specified above) is taken to be the queue, and thenumber of elements in that cluster is taken to be the length of thequeue. Any of a variety of other known clustering algorithms mayalternatively be used. The process shown in FIG. 18 may executedseparately for each checkout station 34, and the results may be combinedto evaluate which carts belong to which queues.

In some applications, the above process may be performed merely toestimate the total number of carts that are clustered together, withoutregard to how or whether these carts are queued. This may be the casewhere, for example, the number of carts in a cart storage area 36 isbeing estimated.

FIG. 19 illustrates an example scenario involving three registers, nos.1-3, and eight shopping carts, C1-C8. Register 2 in this example isclosed. A human can easily see that there are four carts (C2-C5) queuedat register 3. The clustering process will start register 3's clusterformation with C2. As the result of the calculated intra-cart distancemetrics determined using filtered RSSI values, C3-C5 will then beclustered with C2 as part of register 3's queue, even though C4 and C5are closer to register 2 than to register 3. Similarly, C7 forms anisolated queue of one at register 1. C8, which a human can see isprobably just passing through, is not part of either register 1's queueor register 2's queue because its distance metric to the nearest othercluster member (probably C7, possibly C5 depending on the wheels'angles) is over the threshold.

XI. Maintaining Carts in Unlocked State During Retrieval (FIG. 20)

As mentioned above, the system may include a mechanized cart retrievalunit 40 (FIG. 1), which may be a cart pusher or a cart puller, thatapplies a force to a nest 41 of carts to facilitate retrieval. In oneembodiment, as the cart retrieval unit 40 retrieves a nest 41 of carts30, it commands each of the carts/CTs, via its access point (AP) oranother type of transmitter, to remain unlocked. As a result, if thenest 41 is pushed across a VLF signal line that would ordinarily causethe carts' braking mechanisms to become locked, or is pushed through alock zone created via an access point, the braking mechanisms of theretrieved carts will remain unlocked. The commands may be sent via adirectional antenna that is mounted and positioned on the cart retrievalunit 40 so as to substantially limit its command transmissions to thenest of carts.

FIG. 20 illustrates logic that may be incorporated into the carttransceivers (CTs) to facilitate mechanized cart retrieval operations.As represented by block 400, one type of command that may optionally betransmitted by the retriever-mounted AP is a “you are part of aretriever cluster” command. For example, when the operator initiallydepresses a button to initiate retrieval of a nest of carts 41, theretriever-mounted AP may use the cluster/queue identification methodsdescribed in the preceding section to identify the carts in the nest 41,and may then notify these carts (e.g., via unicast commandtransmissions) that they are part of a cluster or nest being retrieved.Upon receiving the “you are part of a retriever cluster” command, the CTsets a retrieval mode flag (block 402) which causes the CT to ignorelock conditions, such as those ordinarily caused by VLF signal linesand/or AP-generated lock zones. The CT then remains in a loop untileither an “end of retrieval” command is received from theretriever-mounted AP or a time out event occurs (blocks 404 and 406),and then clears the retrieval mode flag (block 408).

As depicted by block 410, the retriever-mounted AP 40 may additionallyor alternatively be configured to broadcast a “you are being retrieved”command when the retrieval operation is initiated. This commandpreferably includes a field indicating whether it is being sent from adirectional antenna. In response to receiving this command, the CTdetermines whether either (1) the RSSI associated with the commandtransmission exceeds the AP-specified threshold, or (2) the command wastransmitted via a directional antenna (block 412). If neither conditionis true, no further action is taken (block 414).

If either of the conditions in block 412 is true, the CT unlocks thewheel if currently locked (blocks 416 and 418) and sets a “probableretrieval” flag (block 422). The CT then enters into a loop in which iteither detects wheel movement or skidding, or times out (blocks 424 and426). If wheel movement or skidding is detected, the CT follows thesequence depicted by blocks 402-408, discussed above. (If a skid eventis detected, the CT may also send a skid event message to the retrievalunit, as described above). If a timeout event occurs in block 426, theprobable retrieval flag is cleared and the process ends.

XII. Conclusion

The various functions described above as being performed by an accesspoint, cart transceiver, CCU or MCU may be embodied in or controlled byexecutable software code that is stored in a computer memory or othercomputer storage device. Some of the functions may alternatively beembodied in application-specific circuitry. Any feasible combination ofthe various features and functions described herein may be embodied in agiven system, and all such combinations are contemplated.

As will be recognized, the wheel braking mechanism described herein canbe replaced with another type of electromechanical mechanism forinhibiting the motion of the cart, including mechanisms that cause oneor more of the wheels of the cart 30 to be lifted off the ground.

Although this invention has been described in terms of certainembodiments and applications, other embodiments and applications thatare apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, includingembodiments which do not provide all of the features and advantages setforth herein, are also within the scope of this invention. Accordingly,the scope of the present invention is intended to be defined only byreference to the claims.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A method of estimating a number of physical objectsclustered together, wherein each object includes wireless communicationcircuitry capable of receiving and transmitting radio frequency (RF)signals, the method comprising: causing each of a plurality of objectsto generate a radio frequency (RF) transmission; with each object,generating Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) values for the RFtransmissions received by that respective object from the other objects;collectively analyzing the RSSI values generated by the pluralityobjects; and estimating how many of the plurality of objects areclustered together based on the collective analysis of the RSSI valuesgenerated by the plurality of objects.
 22. The method of claim 21,wherein the method comprises each object wirelessly transmitting therespective RSSI values it generates to an external device for analysis.23. The method of claim 21, wherein the objects are shopping carts. 24.The method of claim 23, wherein causing each of the plurality of objectsto generate an RF transmission comprises broadcasting a command from anantenna mounted at a store checkout area, wherein the method estimates anumber of shopping carts queued at the checkout area.
 25. The method ofclaim 23, wherein causing each of the plurality of objects to generatean RF transmission comprises broadcasting a command from a devicemounted to a mechanized cart retrieval unit, wherein the methodestimates a number of shopping carts queued for mechanized cartretrieval.
 26. The method of claim 23, wherein causing each of theplurality of objects to generate an RF transmission comprisesbroadcasting a command from an antenna mounted at a shopping cartstorage area, wherein the method estimates a number of shopping carts inthe shopping cart storage area.
 27. The method of claim 21, wherein theobjects are human-propelled vehicles.
 28. The method of claim 21,wherein collectively analyzing the RSSI values comprises converting agroup of RSSI values into a single filtered RSSI value.
 29. The methodof claim 21, wherein collectively analyzing the RSSI values comprisescalculating distance metrics for specific pairs of the objects, andusing a clustering algorithm to analyze the distance metrics.
 30. Themethod of claim 21, further comprising assigning unique timeslots to theplurality of objects for said RF transmissions.
 31. The method of claim21, wherein the collective analysis of the RSSI values is performed atleast partly by a computing device that is separate from the pluralityof objects.
 32. The method of claim 21, wherein each object transmits ona plurality frequencies during a corresponding plurality of uniquelyassigned transmission timeslots, such that the collective analysis ofthe RSSI values accounts for frequency-selective effects.
 33. A systemfor detecting clusters of objects, comprising: a plurality of wirelesscommunication devices that are configured for attachment to respectivemovable objects; and an external system configured to communicatebi-directionally with the wireless communication devices; wherein thewireless communication devices are configured to (1) generate RFtransmissions, (2) measure signal strengths of the RF transmissionsreceived from the other wireless communication devices, and (3) reportsaid signal strengths to the external system; wherein the externalsystem is programmed to collectively analyze the reported signalstrengths and, based on said analysis, estimate how many of the wirelesscommunication devices are clustered together.
 34. The system of claim33, wherein the external system is additionally configured to identifythe wireless communication devices that are clustered together.
 35. Thesystem of claim 33, wherein the wireless communication devices areshopping cart wheel units that are configured for attachment torespective shopping carts.
 36. The system of claim 35, wherein theexternal system comprises a node mounted at a checkout area of a store,said node configured to instruct shopping cart wheel units in a vicinityof the checkout area to initiate a cluster detection process thatcomprises generating the RF transmissions, measuring said signalstrengths, and reporting the signal strengths.
 37. The system of claim35, wherein the external system comprises a node mounted at a shoppingcart storage area, said node configured to instruct shopping cart wheelunits in a vicinity of the shopping cart storage area to initiate acluster detection process that comprises generating the RFtransmissions, measuring said signal strengths, and reporting the signalstrengths.
 38. The system of claim 33, wherein the external system isconfigured to calculate distance metrics for specific pairs of thewireless communication devices, and to use a clustering algorithm toanalyze the distance metrics.
 39. The system of claim 33, wherein eachwireless communication device is configured to generate a respectiveReceived Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) value for each of the otherwireless communication devices, and to transmit the RSSI values to theexternal system for analysis.
 40. The system of claim 33, wherein theexternal system is configured to assign transmission timeslots to thewireless communication devices for said RF transmissions.
 41. The systemof claim 33, wherein each wireless communication device is configured togenerate the RF transmissions on a plurality frequencies during acorresponding plurality of uniquely assigned transmission timeslots,such that the collective analysis of reported signal strengths accountsfor frequency-selective effects.